Are Your Goals More of a Hindrance Than a Help?

Happy 2015!! I hope you’ve had a wonderfully refreshing holiday season, and your start to the year has been energised and focussed.

But if you’re anything like me, perhaps your start to the year has been more like: ‘O crap, one month in and I’m already behind on the goals I was so enthusiastic about in December.’

Now, I am all for living on-purpose and with intention. I’m a business coach, goal setting kinda comes with the territory.

But I also live in the same world that you do and I know that it doesn’t matter how self-motivated and intentional you are, life will sometimes get in the way of your carefully made plans.

So I’m here to tell you that it is okay. You have permission to breathe. One month, one snap-shot of time, does not define success or failure. You are still in the game.

Slacking off is not okay. Procrastination needs to be dealt with, and a lack of motivation is usually caused by deeper fear, discomfort of confusion that you need to work through with your coach. This is not permission to take the easy route out of your commitments (you are worth so much more than that and the world needs you to shine!).

But the flip-side of goal-setting and planning is that life does, legitimately and often, get in the way. Things take longer than we thought they would. Complications happen. Spontaneous moments and unexpected opportunities are sometimes too good to pass up.

When life happens, what should we do?

If you lay down your goals and give up, you’ll short-change everyone, and mostly yourself.

If you stubbornly force your way through, refusing to budge on your stated plans, you will bulldoze those you love, create resentment in relationships, and ultimately burn yourself out.

The best way forward – the only way forward if you want to stay sane – is to readjust your expectations. Sometimes we need to reassess our priorities in each given moment. The goals and plans that we have assigned to future days may not be the most important priorities when that day arrives. You may be more emotionally drained than you thought you would be, and your priority needs to be rest. A loved one may be hurting, and your priority needs to be connection. A project may be stuck and your priority needs to be stepping back and re-evaluating the big picture.

YES make goals. YES fulfil your word. AND, in each given moment, be present to what is really important and adjust your expectations accordingly.

And I will do the same, because I am with you on the journey.

Mwah!

Are you procrastinating or unmotivated? Take up my offer of a free coaching call by clicking here. We can get you unstuck and moving forward again.